Odd Man Out
by strangertrack
Summary: The new Mukahi-Hiyoshi pairing leaves Oshitari the odd man out and sparks an unlikely rivalry between Oshitari and Hiyoshi.


A/N: For years, Oshitari/Gakuto was the closest thing to an PoT OTP I had. I couldn't see either of them paired with anyone else. Then I saw the minute long carnival scene in episode 8 of the National Championship OVA and realized that I could love Hiyoshi/Gakuto, too. _-dies from the cute-_

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**Odd Man Out (working title)  
Chapter 1**

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"I'll teach you the meaning of 'there's always someone above you,'" Gakuto smirked.

"Gekokujou," Hiyoshi muttered.

"Wait, so are you above us or are we on top and you're trying to take our spot?" Ohtori asked innocently. Had it been anyone else, one might think he was slyly trying to spark a fight between the misfit pair. But it was Ohtori so there was no malicious intent, just genuine curiosity. Probably.

"Obviously, we're on top," Gakuto said pompously.

"They've beaten us twice before, Mukahi-san," Hiyoshi pointed out with a scowl. "We must gekokujou them to take the Doubles 1 slot."

"But you've beaten Ohtori and I can take on Shishido, so clearly we are superior," Gakuto argued. He didn't care whether he was playing against that overrated pair from Seigaku or playing singles against Atobe. He _liked_ saying his catchphrase before matches. It pumped him up.

"But that was singles. This is gekokujou," Hiyoshi insisted. _He_ thought his own catchphrase was better.

"Lame," Shishido called out.

The two turned their glares toward Shishido, then turned away haughtily.

"I miss playing with Yuushi," Gakuto complained with a longing look toward the court where Oshitari was rallying against Jiroh.

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes. Again with the Yuushi-talk. Every time his petite senpai didn't get his way, he would always bring up the topic of his old doubles partner. It was always, "Yuushi wouldn't have missed that shot" or "Yuushi wouldn't argue with me" or "Yuushi remembered to bring me drinks" or "Well, Yuushi thinks my hair is cute."

Frankly, Hiyoshi wanted to tell Gakuto where Oshitari could shove it. Seriously, what was so great about the so-called tensai of Hyoutei? From what Hiyoshi could tell, the much vaunted Oshitari-Mukahi pair's teamwork consisted of Gakuto doing all the work while Oshitari stood back, hitting the stray ball that occasionally broke through.

Laziness like that pissed Hiyoshi off. It also pissed him off that Oshitari would spend the entire match openly leering at Gakuto jumping, twisting, and bending, his acrobatic play flashing way too much skin, the taut, exposed muscles soon heaving with the heavy pants, glistening with more sweat as the match wore on...

Actually, that part hadn't changed much. He still did that from the sidelines whenever Gakuto played.

"Maybe I'll gekokujou Oshitari-san," Hiyoshi said defiantly.

Gakuto gasped dramatically. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I'll beat him and take his spot," he decided, spurred on by his partner's reaction.

The initial shock disappeared as Gakuto digested the statement, replaced by a smug sureness that irritated Hiyoshi. "You couldn't even if you tried."

That sounded like a challenge and Hiyoshi wasn't one to back down. He stormed off the court, ignoring Shishido's annoyed "Hey! We're in the middle of a game!"

Oshitari was drinking water as Jiroh bounded around him, hyper-alert and hyper-excited. "That was so awesome, Oshitari!" he enthused. "I didn't know you could do Fuji-kun's Tsubame Gaeshi! Ne, ne, play me again!!"

"Oshitari-san, please play a match against me," Hiyoshi requested.

The older boy looked up, mildly surprised. The younger boy had never challenged him to a match before, graduating from slaughtering the 200 non-regulars to setting his sights directly on Atobe.

He flicked his eyes over to Gakuto who had come running after Hiyoshi.

"Haha, he's kidding, Yuushi. Just ignore him." Gakuto put a hand on Hiyoshi's shoulder, not-so-subtly trying to haul him back to their own court.

"Please play a match against me," Hiyoshi repeated.

Gakuto leaned close, flyaway red hair brushing against Hiyoshi's cheek as he whispered urgently, "Don't."

The tone was uncharacteristically desperate.

Oshitari rose then, testing the tension of his racket strings as he studied his old doubles partner with the new doubles partner.

"I have some time," he drawled.

--

Gakuto could count on one hand the number of times he had seen Oshitari get serious. He knew it was bad when Oshitari pulled out the S.S.A.S. - "Side Spin Approach Shot," Gakuto murmured quietly to himself - to win the first point.

It was followed by the F&D, the F.A.S., the... "Higuma Otoshi!!" Jiroh cheered loudly. "Go, Oshitari! Woo!"

"Don't mind, Hiyoshi!" Gakuto found himself calling out.

It was strange. He had never cheered _against_ Oshitari before, but seeing the second year's struggle was downright _frustrating_. Gakuto wished they were playing doubles so that he could lend some support. That Fake & Drop shot... Gakuto read it before Oshitari had even hit it. He could have easily returned it.

Why did Yuushi have to go all out, anyway? he thought, simultaneously furious with Oshitari and annoyed with himself for feeling that way. Gakuto must really be getting soft. He had never been the type to sympathize with the losers. In true Hyotei fashion, he was usually the one doing the pre-match boasting and post-match gloating, whether the opponent was a rival school or a fellow Hyotei tennis club member.

Only winners deserved the coveted regulars spot. The losers were dropped. That was the Hyotei way.

Well, technically it wasn't because Gakuto was still here. Hiyoshi, Shishido and Jiroh, and Oshitari, too.

Gakuto avoided looking at Oshitari after the massacre disguised as a match, deliberately withholding the congratulatory words the other boy was used to hearing as he hurried after Hiyoshi.

He had gotten only a few steps before he whirled around, the words exploding out of him. "You're such a jerk, Yuushi!"

--

Hiyoshi was scowling as he viciously tugged at the knots in his shoelaces. He really didn't know why he was so angry. He knew he wasn't immune to defeat. His entire philosophy of gekokujou revolved around him playing against stronger players, players who would likely kick his ass several times before he surpassed them. A win meant nothing if it wasn't hard-earned.

Which was why Hiyoshi had never set out to gekokujou Oshitari before. Despite his genius skills (or maybe because of them), the guy was so careless that he dropped games that should've easily been his. Hiyoshi had always suspected that he would beat Oshitari in a singles match, but the win would be empty.

Well, it seemed Oshitari had found something to fire him up. The plays had gotten particularly aggressive after the first Higuma Otoshi. Hiyoshi had never wanted to beat someone so badly before... and failed so spectacularly at it.

"Yuushi's a good guy once you get to know him."

Hiyoshi hunched his shoulders in irritation, hoping his senpai would get the message and shut the hell up.

"I mean, he was being kind of a jerk just now, but he's usually cool to hang out with."

"If Oshitari-san is so cool, why don't you go fanboy over him like you always do," Hiyoshi retorted.

"I don't fanboy over Yuushi," Gakuto snapped back. "Geez, I try to be nice and you say shitty things. This is why I hate talking to you."

_Then stop talking to me_, Hiyoshi wanted to order. Instead, he finished changing back into his street shoes and slung his tennis bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, wait up. Let's go somewhere fun," Gakuto urged as he somersaulted over the bench to his locker and started to rummage. "There was this cool cafe I saw the other day that I want to check out."

"Didn't you already invite me there, Gakuto?" Oshitari reminded casually as he posed at the entrance of the locker room, looking completely unaffected by what had occurred just minutes before.

Gakuto flushed. "I'd rather go with my new partner," he replied loftily. "So if you'll excuse us."

He felt a strange sense of satisfaction at the hurt look on his friend's face, but the feeling was momentary. It was quickly replaced by a pang of guilt.

Gakuto paused, suddenly indecisive. Yes, he felt bad for Hiyoshi, and yes, Oshitari could stand to do some reflection, but wasn't it more fun to hang out with Oshitari than with Hiyoshi?

Oshitari was funny and sarcastic. He indulged in Gakuto's selfish whims without complaint, amused by Gakuto's antics. They got along well with all the laid-back intimacy of old childhood friends although in truth, they had only met in junior high.

Hiyoshi was disagreeable and argumentative. He challenged when Oshitari would have genially accepted and agreed, never deferring to his senpai's experienced advice. He was like a hangover Gakuto was forced to nurse because Sakaki had never really forgiven him for losing to Seigaku.

Hadn't Gakuto warned Hiyoshi - no, had _pleaded_ with him - not to play Oshitari? The stupid brat went and did it anyway. Had probably done it just to piss Gakuto off, like he always did. Oshitari had actually done Gakuto a favor by administering a sound beating. _Maybe now that he's knocked down a few pegs, he'll be more obedient_, Gakuto thought petulantly, planting his hands on his hips.

He didn't even realize that he had drifted away from Hiyoshi to stand next to Oshitari, falling into familiar old habits: Oshitari and him against the world. The subconscious action wasn't lost on the other two.

"I'm going home now," Hiyoshi announced, disgusted by the fact that he hadn't simply left while Gakuto and Oshitari were making googly-eyes at each other.

"Okay," Gakuto replied, planned outing already forgotten.

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes again and gave his parting shot. "He was showing off for you, you know?"

"He was NOT showing off for me," Gakuto answered automatically, although Hiyoshi was already striding out of earshot. He turned back. "Were you?"

"I might have been showing off for you," Oshitari demurred.

"Why?"

Oshitari shrugged and feigned a kicked-dog expression. "You might have forgotten who the best doubles partner is."

It was Gakuto's turn to roll his eyes. "That's pretty disgusting, Yuushi," he grimaced with a fake shudder, secretly pleased. He wasn't the only one who missed their combination after all. "We aren't friggin' Shishido and Ohtori."

"My apologies, Gakuto," Oshitari chuckled and waited.

Gakuto fought internally under the expectant gaze. "You _were_ pretty cool out there, Yuushi," he finally gave in, as they both knew he would. "You should play like that all the time."

"Would you fanboy me if I did?" Oshitari dead-panned and Gakuto felt himself blushing hotly, wondering just how much Oshitari had heard before making his presence known.

"Shut up, you moron. You only _wish_ I was your fanboy," he scoffed, hiding his embarrassment by giving Oshitari a little shove.

"I'd rather you be my partner again."

Gakuto mimed sticking a finger down his throat and gagging. "Ohtori," he accused.

"Well then, _Mukahi-san_," Oshitari grinned, with a suggestive lift of the brow. "Does that mean we can spend all night practicing our moves that leave us sweaty and bruised?"

"No, but you can follow me around like a giant slobbering puppy if you'd like."

"Wan wan?" Oshitari offered dryly.

Gakuto gestured for Oshitari to bend down and reached out as if he to pet him. Instead of a gentle ruffling, Gakuto bonked Oshitari on the head.

"That was for Hiyoshi," Gakuto explained with a satisfied smirk. "Bad dog, no biscuit."

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to be continued

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June 14, 2008


End file.
